Alcohol board grants 90‑day extension to The Creek after grease‑trap issues; association raises concerns about state bills

The St. Mary's County Alcohol Beverage Board voted to grant a 90‑day extension of conditional approval for a liquor license application for The Creek after applicants said a mis‑sized grease trap and recent wet weather forced work to stop.

Board Chair David Willenborg opened the Feb. 13 meeting and the board approved the extension by voice vote. "We'll do another 90 day extension of their conditional approval for license application to the Creek, Arthur C Brinkley and Celeste C Baird," a board member moved; the motion was seconded and the board member called the vote. The board chair asked, "All in favor?" and members responded "Aye." The record does not include a roll‑call tally.

Celeste C. Baird, one of the applicants, told the board she and co‑applicant Arthur Charles Brinkley are "very close" to finishing required work but encountered two problems: the county health department will not approve the two‑chamber grease trap that had been installed, and rain has slowed excavation and replacement. "They had recommended that we have a thousand gallon grease trap. I asked for a 1,500 gallon just so that there was no issues. I was sent a 2 chamber grease trap instead of a single chamber grease trap," Baird said. She said the trap will have to be removed and replaced with a single‑chamber unit in a different location in the ground per the health department's instructions.

Baird asked the board for the extension and said her hope was the project would be completed "no later than like March." The board approved the requested 90‑day extension of the conditional approval for the license application.

At the same meeting the board received administrative reports: the board administrator said renewal processing had begun and that two weeks into the renewal period staff had received about 20 of approximately 170 renewals. The alcohol enforcement coordinator reported that in January staff visited 23 locations; 19 passed and four failed, with most failures related to tobacco enforcement. The coordinator also reported 13 DUI arrests by county personnel and eight arrests by the state police, and that stationary surveillance at Abel's Tavern and Merchants Lane Fine Wine and Spirits found no violations.

Board inspector Kevin reported 13 inspections and three follow‑ups since the last meeting and described a meeting staff held with a business to address concerns before violations escalated.

A representative of the St. Mary's County Licensed Beverage Association briefed the board on state legislation the association is monitoring. The representative said three county‑related bills were filed concerning alcohol — one to raise fines to $2,500, one affecting Class B licenses (allowing three Class B licenses) and a bill to change the quota in District 8 — and that the association supported or tracked those measures at the county level. The representative also discussed House Bill 997, which the speaker described as an "admission and amusement" measure that would allow jurisdictions to add an extra 3% tax on food and beverage. "What this bill does, though, it allows each individual jurisdiction to add an extra 3% tax on the food and beverage products," the association representative said. The representative said the association opposed the proposal and was watching several bills that would expand permission for grocery stores, gas stations and chain retailers to obtain alcohol licenses.

No formal board action was taken on the legislative items; those reports were informational.

The meeting concluded after routine business and an adjournment motion by the board.